NUBIAN KNIGHTS NETWORK: AND THIS TOO SHALL PASSA Black Same Gender Loving Sports Experience Penned By E. Lynn Harris

QUOTATIONS OF "BLACK"

"Whenever I use BLACK it relates to some history of Africans in that particular place. It’s the idea of the color BLACK as a metaphor, or as a representation of African-Americans. It’s the notion of BLACK- BLACKNESS - and all its other meanings in relation to the history of race..."

- Fred Wilson

"Most of my fortitude to continue doing the work comes from the moral outrage I feel about the injustices that Black people endure disproportionately daily."

- N. Abdul-Wakil

"In the end, what matters is not skin shade but pan-African consciousness. Loving your complexion, your nose, lips, hair length and texture, no matter what the politics or trends decide, and simply be. That's the problem with us (African folks). We're still learning how to love ourselves. So used to glorifying others and putting others first..."

- Dredlocks Tree

Saturday, July 25, 2009

AND THIS TOO SHALL PASS
A Black Same Gender Loving Sports Experience Penned By E. Lynn Harris

As we, the Black same gender loving community celebrate the accomplishments while mourning the passing of E. Lynn Harris, I'd like to say that the greatest thing I took away from E. Lynn Harris was his third and my most favorite book that he wrote, And This Too Shall Pass (1997). He's the only Black SGL author (to my knowledge) to broach the subject matter of the Black SGL experience and SPORTS (specifically American football) which I LOVE. Man! I LOVE THIS BOOK SO MUCH!!

It occurred to me at the time I read the book that if I had the dream to ever pursue a career as a lawyer, I'd be in the sports arena in order to help young Black male sports athletes manage their money better. It would have been a great service to help my community of bruthaz manage their money better and I may get to see some of them in their towels in the locker room as a bonus! LOL!

A lot of prospective Black male athletics come from impoverished or low-income backgrounds and then once they obtain a substantial amount of money in lucrative sports contracts they wind up broke after their career is over due to financial mismanagement. The Washington Post (can't find the link right now) did a huge and extensive (like 8 to 10 page) on-line article on the subject matter of NFL sports athletics and their money.

Anyway, even though I have my little Paddleball Saturdays with Da Bruthaz (NYC) sports league at Morningside Park @ 122nd Street in Harlem, NY during the last 5 years, which is intended as an alternative to clubs and bars for fellowship and brotherhood for Black same gender loving men, I am still frustrated at the lack of desire that my circles of Black SGL men have for sports; the exception is like basketball or track and field where bruthaz watch for the eye candy and mostly not truly interested in the sport(s) itself.

Anyway, I say all that to say that E. Lynn Harris penned an inspiring book that I (a Black same gender loving brutha who LOVES sports, lives in New York City and a huge Washington Redskins fan for over 25 years now) could really get into and escape with. Ironically, I remember in past conversations that a lot of Black SGL bruthaz didn't appreciate And This Too Shall Pass as much as I liked the book.

Anyway, I have to give a BIG SHOUT OUT to my good friend Herb for helping me organize the Paddleball Saturdays with Da Bruthaz (NYC) over these last few years. He gave me hope that there a few (if minuscule amount of bruhs) who like vibin' with me on Saturdays with the sport of paddleball.

Oh, well... CHEERS to you E. Lynn! Thanks for creating and crafting a truly inspirational and exceptional Black SGL sports world I could vibe with. Peace, my brutha!

ROD (aka BIG ROD)

UPDATE (Tuesday, July 28th, 2009): I happened to be looking through my book library and found (and forgot!) that E. Lynn signed my copy of AND THIS TOO SHALL PASS from 10 years ago! WOW! I remember waiting on a long line like everyone else during his book signing in a basketball gymnasium (I'm pretty certain that it was at the YMCA on 135th Street in Harlem, NYC, USA!). Take a look below. I wanted to share this! The paper is turning a little brown, though... LOL!

1 comment:

DonTheWriterTuesday, July 28, 2009 at 3:53:00 AM EDT
Funny, Rod that you should pick the book "And This Too Shall Pass" from E. Lynn Harris's repertoire. If you remember in that book, the Four Seasons Hotel Chicago plays a small part in the story. (It's the part where Zurich brought his girlfriend to the presidential suite of the Four Seasons Hotel Chicago for a night of romance.)

I had already purchased the novel, and by coincidence was in the middle of it when E. Lynn Harris came to my hotel during his Midwest portion of the book promotion. I smiled, made small talk with him during the check in process. As I handed him the keys to his room, I proceeded to tell him that contrary to what his book had depicted, there was "NOT a white baby grand piano in the presidential suite, the piano is black." He absolutely cracked up right there at the desk. Before leaving the hotel, he came back down to the front desk and allowed me to read half a chapter of his next book, ("If this World Were Mine"). He also signed another copy of "And This Too Shall Pass" for me.

He was a cool brother. If there was any lacking in his writing, it certainly was NOT due to a lack of warmth in his soul. He will be greatly missed.

Donell
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